


The Voidseeker

by TrashJesus



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Fantasty, Foursome, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Friends With Benefits, M/M, Oral Sex, Orgy, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Supernatural Creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-01-26 20:36:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12565684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrashJesus/pseuds/TrashJesus
Summary: A/U: The boys are now in a high fantasy setting. Noctis is a trained monster and daemon hunter traveling from town to town with his close friend Ignis ridding the people of troublesome creatures for coin. A string of mangled bodies leads him to accept a contract to find out what haunts the town. One contract leads to another. Along the way he makes friends in unexpected places and perhaps, finds love.Loosely based on The Witcher.





	1. The Voidseeker

**Author's Note:**

> This is brought on by @Yabo who suggested “The gang as supernatural creatures or more traditional fantasy races”. While it's a vague prompt and probably not exactly what they had in mind, it was the first thing that came to my mind. The crossover of worlds no one asked for. If this starts sounding similar world wise, it's because this is basically FFXV meets The Witcher, another favorite series of mine. If you don’t know Witcher lore, I hope you like the explanations/retellings. If you do know Witcher lore, I hope you don’t mind me peppering in similar things for others to get the jist. 
> 
> Please note that this does not take place in the same world as The Witcher, so you will not see characters from that game in here. I have just used that world as the base. There may even be completely original characters (or background NPCs given bit parts) so I do not have to bend over backwards to have certain people fit roles.
> 
> Edit 1/27/2018: I'm killing this off. Theres too much work being put into this one with very little payoff. I'll be moving on to other projects.

 

_There is little in this world that could be described like these creatures. Said to the the result of magicks foul and witchery. They stand between us and the creatures from the inky blackness that lies beyond the veil. They are fiercer than the raging beasts they hunt, stronger and more agile than any one man. They are emotionally unavailable mutants who may just as quickly strike you down as the beast tearing your child to shreds. Yet we need these monstrosities. On the outside, they look like us. But you will know them by their eyes. Unnatural, just as they are. Violet. The eyes of a Voidseeker._

 

_-Seeing The Void, by Vyv_

 

A coil tightened, temperature rising.

 

Tighter and tighter it wound as they labored to fulfill a carnal need.

 

A strangled cry of pleasure, a grunt. Their rocking bodies slowed, letting the feeling of pleasure pour over them from head to toe.

 

Noctis collapsed to the bed, panting for breath, a sheen of sweat on his thin, but lean body. He didn't think he had the energy left to move again, not after his third orgasm of the morning. A blessing or perhaps curse of his Voidseeker abilities. A large pool of stamina and an usually high libido. He reached out for his partner, a man who appeared to be close in age to him. They’d gone to bed together the night before. It seemed almost affectionate, the way the raven haired man combed his fingers through the other’s dirty blonde hair. Almost. It had been too stiff, too precise to be anything other than him mirroring what a man in love would do.

 

Nonetheless, he still let his eyes glide over the naked figure before him. Ignis Scientia had something of an elegance to his beauty as afforded by someone with elven blood in his veins. Noctis could not quite tell if he was half-elf or a quadroon, but his eyes picked up the features nevertheless.

 

The pallid looking male sat up despite his desire to rest as he too struggled to catch his breath. He reached over to the weathered nightstand beside the straw stuffed mattress and collected a pair of odd, silver framed spectacles. He felt a hand urging him to lay back down and he heaved a sigh.

 

“Come now, Noct. I figuratively and quite literally cannot keep this up. Nor should you.” Ignis pushed off the mattress and crossed over to the wooden basin, Lifting a small vial from the floor, he popped its cork and tilted it contents into the container. No larger than his palm, it seemed to fill the basin regardless of it’s size.

 

Noctis looked irritated. “Can’t you just relax a bit longer?”

 

“You are far too lax for a Voidseeker as is. Evening approaches. The notice stated to meet the issuer at Lamia’s Jewel at precisely seven. While I do not anticipate too much competition, there is the chance that we may be beat out. We hurt for coin, I’ve no idea how I let you talk me into wasting gil on this room.”

 

“Really? I have an idea.” Noctis smirked, failing to dodge the empty bottle tossed at his chest. “Hey!”

 

“Get up. Let us bathe. This inn may be run down, but that does not mean we must smell the same.”

 

He obliged, if only because it was less effort to obey Ignis than it was to fight him. Stepping into the tub, Ignis saw fit to scrub him down and was given very little fuss while they cleaned up.

 

\--

  


_Hunter Wanted_

 

_My Lord seeks a hunter skilled in tracking, deduction, and physical prowess._

_Good men have gone missing and we pray their fate better than the bodies we have found._

_This is not for the faint-hearted._

_Frankly speaking, you’re risking your neck on this._

_But the risk is well worth the reward._

_My Lord offers 1,000 gil to whoever brings us the head of whatever caused this._

_I will screen those who wish to take on the task._

_I will wait daily at Lamia’s Jewel and seven in the evening. You will know me by the onyx pendant I wear._

 

_May the gods watch over you._

 

Noctis went over the notice in his head as he and his partner entered the meeting place. A tavern that seemed to attract all sorts. Without a word, Ignis left his side. No cause for concern. When they traveled together, this was their norm as far as work was considered. Ignis would gather up hear-say while Noctis dealt with their main task.

 

The voidseeker remained rooted by the entrance until his eyes fell what he was looking for. An onyx pendant. It hung around the neck of a young woman sitting alone in a dark corner. It was no trouble for him to see her features, even from a distance.

 

She was an odd thing. She was young, but not so young that her hair should not have been long, pinned up in some style or another. But her hair had been cut short and quite professionally at that. Unlikely done by herself, so she was someone who could either afford the luxury or someone who cared for her could. It was a deep brown, as were her eyes. Pale skin standing out against her dress, an endlessly deep red. From her manner of dress, Noctis gathered she was somewhere in the upper-middle class and this tavern might not be somewhere she would think visit otherwise.

 

He approached her so quietly she was startled when she lifted her head to find a person sitting across from her. Her eyes went wide when she fully took in the face before her. In the dim light, beneath a veil of black hair were a pair of faintly glowing violet eyes. She grasped her pendant in surprise, her gasp audible to his ears alone.

 

“Y-You’re...a...a Voidseeker.”

 

Noctis offered a somewhat patient nod while he waited for her to get over the spectacle of seeing someone like him before her. He was counting down the seconds it would take for her to become uncomfortable and dismiss him in favor of a more human hunter. To his surprise, she leaned forward, capturing one of his hands in hers and squeezed.

 

“My prayers have been answered! What’s better than a Voidseeker when you need a hunter?” her smile was relieved, hopeful.

 

Noctis took his hand back, a bit surprised she was so willing to touch. “I need more details before I agree to this, miss…”

 

“Amicitia. Iris Amicitia. I couldn’t be more pleased to meet you, Ser Voidseeker.” Iris’ voice then dropped lower to barely a whisper, leaning forward again. “Three of my Lord’s, Lord Leonis’ men, knights of the order, have gone missing. Other hunters too. There’s tale of a creature in the forest between this town and the next. Livestock torn to shreds, men no different. I’ve heard it's near impossible to identify them when they are brought back. My lord wants you to find what creature has done this and bring him its head.”

 

He nodded taking in information, “Any sighting of the creature? More details on the condition of the bodies?”

 

“I don’t think anyone has seen it. I hear whispers, but they are all fantastic tales of a beast the size of two men or glowing eyes. None of it is ever the same. But if you want more details about the bodies, I can direct you to mortician, they may be able to help you.”

“And how long has this been going on? The disappearances.”

 

“About three moons, give or take.”

 

Once more Noctis nodded his head. “That’s a long time to have something like that running loose. I’ll need to speak with Lord Leonis, get some more information about his men. Can you arrange that?”

 

“Yes, Of course. Right away, in fact. He wants this solved as much as I do. Please, follow me.”

 

Noctis flagged down Ignis who seemed to be waiting for this little meeting to conclude before he approached. He regarded her with a ‘madam’ and introduced herself.

 

\--

 

Lord Leonis lived in a modest manor for a man of his renown, but a manor no less. Apparently he was a knighted war hero, retired, but he was the founder of The Order of Flora. A name that most scoffed at until the knights proved themselves competent. The title of the order reflected on the manor itself. It looked more like a vast garden than a home.

 

Iris led them through the manor which looked sparsely decorated inside. She knocked gently at his recreation room, announcing herself and the men in her company. Allowed inside, Noctis and Ignis gave the lord a shallow bow.

 

Cor Leonis seemed a tired man. They could see that he was a man who had seen terrible things in his life and it had worn him to the bone. It was no wonder he chose a home like this. A little solace from the memory of war. He gestured for them to make themselves comfortable, all but Noctis taking a seat.

 

“You may speak.” Cor gave the standing voidspeeker his undivided, if not cautious, attention.

 

“Your men. I need to know what they were doing, what route they were to take if I’m gonna retrace steps. Might be something there. Give me clues as to what's doing this. That information wasn’t available in the notice. If there is something I should know…”

 

Cor looked offended at the implication he’d excluded information to hide suspect actions. His eyes narrowed, “Nonsense. Even before my men disappeared, there were strange goings on in the forest. Tales of people seeing a figure and rushing off into the forest after it, never to return. I sent my best to investigate. You have seen the result. Whatever it is has gotten more violent since then. I was happy to leave it be, but given trade between towns and travelers...I cannot in good conscious let it continue. I must also find peace...to know what befell my men. Speak with the knights of the order, they will show you the path.”

 

The lord cast a sorrowful look to Iris before he inhaled and continued. “Iris tells me you need to see the bodies. I do not know how well they have kept after so long, but there is no doubt a fresh cadaver from a brave, but unfortunate hunter. Here. Take this.”

 

He walked over to a stand, scribbling out a note with ink and quill. Crossing to Noctis, he handed him the paper, “You should be allowed in with no question so long as you show them this paper. They may still be wary of you. We don’t see voidseekers out here. Stories of how aggressively viscious your lot is has filled their heads. But you do not seem all so bad. Find it, Voidseeker. And end the beast that plagues us.”

 

With safe passage, Noctis and Igis were escorted out of the manner by Iris from whom they were directed to the morgue. But the lady stopped them, almost hesitantly before they cleared the gate. She lifted her dress enough not to obstruct her feet as she ran to their side.

 

“A moment, hunters! I...I have another job for you.”

 

“You know a job requires payment, right?” Noctis flicked his thumb over his nose, looking down at the woman with determined eyes.

 

“The knights...bring them back.  I’ll pay of course, but- just bring them back, okay?”

 

Noctis looked her over and blinked. “If it's been three months, those knights are dead.”

 

“My brother is _not_ dead!” she shouted before she could stop herself, stomping her foot once. “If I do not see his body or proof of his passing before me, then there is a chance he still lives! He is the best of the best, there's no way he’s dead. He just can’t be. Find him and his friends and bring them home.”

 

Ignis looked to Noctis who sighed. He knew the man well enough that he was able to turn back to Iris and confidently say, “We will keep our eyes open for signs of the missing knights. How will we know them?”

 

Iris brightened with a smile, “The knights have a crest of flowers and my brother is a big guy. Hard to miss a guy like him, but he has a long scar over left eye. Gladiolus is his name. Please. And if...if the worst-”

 

Ignis shushed her gently, “Now there, I thought you said there was no possible way your brother has passed. Chin up, dear. We will do our best to bring him home.”

 

They were showered in thanks, leaving the young woman behind.

 

\---

 

Cor had been correct that they would be met with suspicion. At least with the assistants. When they’d met with the mortician, one Sania Yeager, they were met with enthusiasm. Intrigue crossing her dark features. More than once she implied she’d like to cut into Noctis and figure out what made voidseekers so different,

 

Sania rolled out the newest body, a few days old. The smell only got worse when she removed the sheet that covered the body and allowed the men to inspect it.

 

Ignis covered his mouth and nose with a bit of cloth, leaning over the corpse. Noctis touched the body with a gloved hand, gingerly pushing at the wounds.

 

“Pretty deep gashes here. Has the body been cleaned?” he looked to Sania who shook her head, commenting that only the clothes had been removed. “Good. Iggy. Look here.”

 

He was pointed to the neck that looked torn out, “Gruesome. One could only hope it was swift. Ah, but the hairs?”

 

“Yeah. Few of em here and there. Hey, Sania, they all like this? The bodies?”

 

“Yes. They are all in a sorry state. Torn to pieces. All likely to have bled out if shock didn’t do it.”

 

“Then you’re all lucky. Hopefully no one survived these attacks. Claw marks like this? That hair and the throat being torn out. Probably got a werewolf on our hands. Not positive. I’ll have to check the woods to know for sure. But you guys would have a serious problem if anyone walks away from a werewolf with the mark on ‘em. Thanks. This helps.”

 

Noctis and Ignis visit The Order to find the path through the woods they needed to take to retrace the steps of the missing knights. He gathered up his belongings, securing his weapons to him. The pair mounted their chocobo and set out in the woods, their contract set in motion.


	2. Of Beasts and Men

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis and Ignis search the forest for the missing knights and the creature that killed them when they come face to face with a beast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I got distracted and binge-played games again.

  
  
  


The world seemed starkly different once they set foot in the forest. The temperature shifted low, a wetness in the air and underfoot. Perhaps it was the knowledge that something lurked within that gave the wooded expanse its gloomy atmosphere. From the outside, it looked quite inviting. Violet eyes spotted several edible flora and fungi. Between two towns, they likely foraged within. Not so likely now, with the whispers of gruesome deaths and abrupt disappearances.

 

Ignis seemed impervious to the chill, but Noctis had to pull a less than chic doublet from his chocobo’s saddle to fight the cold.

 

“Unnatural.” he muttered, patting his chest and feeling a dull vibration. His eyes scanned their surroundings slowly for any signs that the knights had been there...or signs of what stalked the area.

 

“Indeed. I feel the faintest prickle of coolness. I cannot imagine what it must be like for you. Do try not to catch your death of cold. It would be unfortunate. I imagine it would be a bit difficult for me to complete the task without you.”

 

“Glad to know you care.” he replied, a heaping of sarcasm in his tone, a smirk pulling at his lips.

 

“Of course, old friend.”

 

They continued on in relative silence, both listening out for anything out of the ordinary. Or rather, anything more usual than the current state. 

 

About an hour into the journey into the depths of the forest, Noctis spotted cuts in the bark of trees. He approached, eyeing it under more scrutiny. “Sword.” after a glance to the right, he added, “Swords. They’re old, but it looks like three different types from the cuts. This one here is deep as hell. Diagonal. Must be heavy as hell too.”

 

“I doubt it is common to carry such a heavy blade, let alone be able to swing it. I’d say we’ve found our men. Or traces of them at the very least.”

 

“Yeah. And looks like they ran off the path. And whatever attacked them likely came from that direction. Impossible to tell now, too much time has passed. But I’m betting we’ll find more if we follow the marked trees.”

 

“I daresay I’ve rubbed off on you. Excellent deduction.”

 

“How long were you just gonna stand there until I got that.”

 

“As long as it took. But you’ve gotten quite good at this. Come now, time to press on.”

 

\--

 

Noctis’ boot knocked against something metal, a bracer. It kicked up a musty scent into the air, filling his nostrils. He snorted, shaking his head once in attempt to get the smell out. A glance downwards showed the cast. Underfoot, there lay a sprawled thing that resembled a humanoid. A thin, blackened, slimy looking sheet covered and filled in the crevices of a skeleton. Skin. Or what was left of it. The body had mostly liquefied in the three months it lay rotting in a forest. 

 

Reaching forward, he dusted foliage off the breastplate of the fallen knight, confirming the insignia of The Order of Flora.

 

“Let us hope he did not suffer.” Ignis frowned, looking over at what Noctis had been up to.

 

The voidseeker stood, and motioned for them to carry on. It was one of three. He hadn’t expected to find any of them alive, but the absence of two more bodies at the moment at least sparked interest in him.

 

“There’s something not quite right. Here, don’t you think?”

 

Noctis nodded once in agreement, never standing still for more than a few moments. “Yeah, doesn’t really make much sense.”

 

“Werewolves do not cause unnatural cold.”

 

“And they don’t stalk during the day.”

 

“I don’t particularly fancy the idea of being out here come nightfall. There are far too many unknowns.” Ignis’ arms crossed over his chest, walking closely to the side of his friend. He remained there as they went deeper and deeper still into the seemingly endless forest. Remains of what they assumed belonged to another missing knight drapped ever so perfectly over a branch. Its head missing, either lost to gravity or perhaps that went missing before it landed there, it’s spine arched over the wood. The force it would take to get him there seemed out of the realm of something a werewolf could do or maybe it was just a rather large werewolf.

 

The voidseeker was at a loss, the train ran cold here. There were no more marks on trees or bodies of knights to guide them. He could not see where they had tussled or see droplets of blood. Nature had reclaimed the area once more and almost all evidence of what had transpired months ago was gone.

 

With no other leads, Noctis fished out his compass and pointed himself towards the neighboring town. It was possible they would find more once they got closer to civilization again. But how far away was it?

 

To make matters worse, the sun was setting and it made very little sense for them to backtrack on the progress they’d made. Much to Ignis’ dismay. If the forest was hardly safe during the day, it wouldn’t be any better at night. It had already been dark due to the canopy of leaves above them during the day, but now it was very nearly pitch.

 

Noctis had set up a makeshift camp in a small clearing. It had taken the pair longer than normal to find wood that wasn’t dampened to make a fire. Even then, they were still aided by his magicks to get the job done. It was minimalistic, but a voidseeker had command over certain spells. His fingers bent in calling and then fire erupted from the tips until the wood caught, blazing upwards.

 

The voidseeker began to suspect that Ignis was partially upset because the lack of a proper meal. He’d often complain about how he didn’t eat properly. Didn’t get the proper nutrients. Just because he’d been altered didn’t mean he didn’t need to eat right. Now, the only thing they had were rolls and a hastily skinned hare they’d managed to kill roasting over the flames.

“I’ll take first watch.” Noctis started, breaking off a piece of his roll and shoving it into his mouth. 

 

“Would that we could have a stew…” Ignis was staring down the crackling fire, watching the rest of their meal cook.

 

“Iggy.”

 

He smiled, looking up. “I heard you, Noct, that’s quite fine-” there was something in Noctis’ face that said he had not been calling his attention for that. In fact, when Ignis looked into the faintly glowing violet eyes of his friend, he could see that they were not focused on him, but behind him.

 

How had he not heard something approaching? But then again, Ignis was not a voidseeker. Noctis looked as if he hadn’t moved a muscle, yet his hand was already gripping his sword, eyes trained behind Ignis locked on a pair of large yellow eyes that had not seemed to noticed they had been spotted.

 

It reached towards Ignis and in a flash of bright blue light, Noctis had closed the distance between it and himself. In that short frame of time, he’d been able to question the size of the hand that he’d seen. 

 

Tiny.

 

His sword impaled the ground next to it’s head and he was finally able to get a good look at it pinned beneath him.

 

A small...boy? Creature? It was of pale blue skin and messy brown hair. The large yellow eyes were filled with terror and panic as the poor thing squirmed and screeched out. He was covered in earth and wearing a tunic much too large and too nice to have been his. He was swimming in the cloth haphazardly tied to his body.

 

“Please! Don’t kill me!” the blue boy pleaded, tears welling in his big eyes.

 

Noctis blinked, “You can talk?”

 

They heard a roar, the pounding of feet. Noctis felt the raised skull pendant he wore vibrate more intensely than before and by the time he’d gotten to his feet he’d been knocked back by the largest werewolf he’d ever laid his on.

 

“Ignis!” Noctis called, quickly getting back to his feet and readying himself to take on the massive beast.

 

He hadn’t even needed to be called into action, as soon as it registered that they were under attack, Ignis whipped out his daggers. He was far more deadly with them than his looks would suggest.

 

The beast charged at them and howled suddenly. A dull thunk against it and it looked down to see a dagger had sunk into shoulder. It snarled in anger and turned its attention on the man who threw it.

 

Noctis leaped in front of his friend, taking the brunt of the blow. He found himself holding open powerful jaws that were trying to snap at his face and throat. A boot caught the wolf in the side of its ribs. Ignis. He’d gotten the thing off of him and helped the voidseeker to his feet.

 

With his sword still planted by the child, Noctis was left little choice but to rely on his fists and rudimentary magic. He was inwardly swearing that he hadn’t prepared wolfsbane for this. He hadn’t, but it seemed Ignis had. The blade that jutted out of the werewolf must have been laced in wolfsbane oil as the beast seemed to react slower in their exchange of blows.

 

But each time they’d backed away from each other, instead of circling, the wolf would stop in front of the boy in a defensive stance, daring them to move again.

 

It roared again and Noctis was prepared to sprint at it. Until the flat of a palm was against his chest.

 

“Noct, wait!”

“The hell for? I’m not trying to get mauled to death.” Noctis looked agitated. They didn’t have a lot of time for this, even with the creature sluggish it was still quick on its feet.

 

Ignis stepped in front of Noctis, keeping his hand on the man’s chest, his other hand extended in caution towards the wolf, but more importantly, the boy. “We’re not here to hurt you.”

 

Again, the werewolf bared all of its teeth in a roar as if to say they were lying.

 

“Calm yourself.” Ignis was firm in tone, but it then softened, speaking at the boy hiding behind the imposing figure. “Not a scratch on you is there? We’re very sorry we frightened you. My friend was just worried over my safety. Weren’t you, Noct?”

 

Noctis could not follow where Ignis was going, but he made no move forward as the werewolf also stood rooted in place, even if he looked ready to pounce.

 

Ignis glanced about and his eyes landed on their makeshift camp and back at the child. He understood at once. “Ah. You’re hungry, aren’t you? Why don’t we all calm down, hm? I am more than willing to share.”

 

The boy’s impossibly large eyes seemed to grow even larger, “Really? Did you hear that? We can have food! They’re good! They have food!”

 

The excitement was clear on his face, but the werewolf narrowed its eyes at the pair.

 

Noctis straightened up.  _ Now _ he understood. “Look’n out for the kid. Now I get why you’re on the defensive. You understand us, right?”

 

The wolf snorted.

 

Ignis dropped his other dagger, kicking it out of the way in a show of goodwill. “And now we are unarmed. I assure you he will not use magic either.”

 

A rumble.

 

The wolf’s ear twitched and the boy held his middle. Ignis walked back to them carefully, extending his bread to him, making sure to move as unthreatening as possible. “I’m afraid it will be a bit longer for the meat to cook through, but you are welcome to stay...and I can treat your friend’s wounds. It’s the least we could do for causing such trouble.”

 

\---

 

The odd looking boy sat on the ground, happily shoving roasted hare into his mouth. He would open his lips and pant, trying to cool the meat much too late, but refusing to slow down. 

 

As he said, Ignis tended to the werewolf who still seemed on high alert. He did not blame him. They were strangers and moments ago had the intent to fight to the death. Were it not for the boy, they very likely would have. 

 

He applied several salves to the wound, letting the wolf sniff the containers first before pressing it against the cut. All the while the werewolf kept his watchful eyes on Noctis and Noctis watched him.

 

Ignis sighed, “Come now, can we get this out of the way? If there should be someone to be wary of, why not the man who  _ actually _ harmed you? You seem perfectly fine letting me tend to you. Leave him be. Inhuman or not, Noctis isn’t in the business of harming children.”

 

The wolf snorted and gave something of a low grumbly growl.

 

“Nor is he going to harm you again. He’s a voidseeker. He hunts the violent, dangerous sort. You seem remarkably in control for a werewolf. It helps your case that you clearly defend the boy, if a little aggressively.”

 

Noctis was the one to snort this time, almost amused by ‘a little’, “He packs a hell of a punch. ...When did you learn to speak dog?”

 

“Noct. Behave. I don’t understand him. Not truly, but I can infer things from the way he responds. I can also hear his stomach. He should stop being so stubborn and eat. I am sure an empty stomach does nothing for your mood.”

 

The wolf slumped a bit and gave an almost inaudible whine. Likely embarrassed his hunger could be heard. Ignis left the wolf’s side to cut off more meat and returned to him, handing him a shared plate. Ignis watched as the werewolf tried desperately to have manners. Large, gangly fingers tried to grip the fork he was given against a palm that was too far away. He looked increasingly frustrated, like he was seconds away from shoving his maw onto the plate.

 

Ignis took his hand, retrieving the fork and offered up a large chunk of roasted meat. 

 

The werewolf accepted.

 

“You want to hold on to the human parts of you. I understand… would that you could respond, I would ask you your name.”

 

The werewolf strained, grumbled and whined as if in pain. His teeth bared, his jaw moved, and buried under a growl, a straggled word fell from him. “Gla- dio…”

 

Noctis nearly dropped the plate he held out for the child, eyes snapping up to the wolf again. Ignis only smiled broadly.  
  
“My, but you **_are_** remarkable, indeed. Gladio? Ignis. A pleasure. I wish we’d met under more favorable circumstances. You’re fascinating. I never knew a werewolf could speak the commontongue. But do not strain yourself. We can talk at first light.”

 

Noctis was amazed as well. It was new information for him, too. However, what amazed him more was how incredibly dense they’d been. The boy was wearing an oversized tunic, far to fine to be for commoners. Upon a second inspection there were flowers embroidered along each hem. It would have belonged to someone tall and broad. The wolf himself wore pants of high grade leather although they were burst along the side seams and wore worn, steel greaves. This was the third body they’d been looking for. The missing knight.

 

“Gladiolus.” Noctis handed the plate of food over to the hungry child, mussing his hair more as he stood. “We’ve got a lot to talk about once the sun is up. I need to know what the hell is going on here. Oh, yeah. Almost forgot. Your sister is looking for you.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And no one is surprised that Gladio is a werewolf, lol.


	3. To My Home, Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys confront the beast plaguing the town and forest and must then decide what to do about their Werewolf acquaintance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait again. Mental health was crappy for a while there. No Prompto in this chapter, but should be introduced next chapter.

The night had been a long one. Not only due to Noctis and the werewolf named Gladiolus  taking their time dropping their guard enough to not be insulting, but also because the boy had become very talkative. He’d warmed up quite quickly after he had a belly full of food. They’d learned his name, Talcott, without asking for it. Not that they had planned not to, but the child flapped his lips like no other.

 

Noctis was out of his element. He did not dislike children, but he rarely interacted with them in his line of work. His occupation saw mothers hide away their children on sight of a voidseeker for fear they’d be snatched up. The ill-equipped hunter was a bit overwhelmed by the energy that overflowed from the small boy.

 

Ignis, bless his heart, was far better than Noctis would have expected at focusing Talcott. Keeping him from going too far off topic or even getting himself into trouble from how curious he was about literally everything about them.

 

Through this back and forth, Noctis was able to reach into the recesses of his mind and recall a bit of information. Childlike creatures like him. In mind and in body, they were essentially eternal children and very fond of play and pranks. They were gentle ‘monsters’, Astralings. Not the type to cause knights to disappear, nor were they capable of it. They protected their homes and the areas surrounding them with limited abilities. Talcott was not the cause of the deaths nor the unnatural state of the forest.

 

Noctis could not quite figure out how he fit into the puzzle. He couldn’t figure out Gladiolus either. He’d have to wait for daybreak.

 

The unlikely group had eventually been led away from their camp. Guided along by werewolf grunting out the word ‘follow’ and an Astraling who held his sizable hand and urged the other two as well.

 

A mixture of the very few pained words from Gladiolus and chiming from Talcott let Noctis know his suspicions were correct. There was something else in the forest.

 

They’d been lead back to a small cave formation, its entrance covered in vines and roots. It looked as if effort had been put into forming a door out of whatever could be found in the area. Vine, twine. Twigs, branches haphazardly fastened together and placed against the hole that was already obscured by greenery.

 

They lived here.

 

In every practical sense it was a home, despite there being no way to hide that it was a cave. Handmade tools, fur pelts atop earthy mounds for beds, the large broadsword they’d been looking out for… from the looks of it, they’d been there quite a while.

 

It must have been for peace of mind. One could feel safer in their home than out in the open. But it only made Noctis more curious as to what was out there.

 

\--

 

Noctis awoke startled, but without so much as a gasp. It was a bad dream, but one that didn’t really bother him that much anymore. He often had them. As emotionless as people, even himself, liked to believe voidseekers were, there were still things he feared. And the things he saw in his life...sometimes they stuck with him.

 

He was sore. There had only been two ‘beds’. Talcott had curled up with Gladiolus and the werewolf had wordlessly insisted Ignis take his. Noctis very nearly climbed in with his friend but was denied, being told that his restraint involving certain things was not to be trusted.

 

Noctis grumbled. He wasn’t  _ so _ bad that he’d try to bed Ignis with danger looming outside a weak door, a werewolf he barely trusted, and a kid within a few feet. Regardless, he’d ended up on a bedroll on the hard ground.

 

He had no idea what time of day it was, but Talcott was still asleep. Ignis and Gladiolus however were not inside. A quick look around showed no signs of a struggle, not that he would have slept through one. It was just his instinct to check. Everything was as it should be.

 

Rubbing his neck and rolling his shoulders, Noctis left the cave to find the two just a few yards away.

 

Definitely had to be Gladiolus. Even as a human he was a large man. It was no wonder he made such a towering werewolf. The scar down his eye was present, the sword in the cave was most certainly his. Amber eyes. Yes, definitely him. What Noctis had not been expecting was for him to be so ruggedly handsome. He looked more fitted to be a voidseeker than a knight. The tattoo covering the man’s upper body was also something to marvel over. It was exquisitely done. Quite a bit of coin would have gone into having masterful work like it done. And Noctis let his eyes run over every detail that touched that muscular body.

 

As he approached, Ignis could see the telltale sign of interest in his friend’s eyes, giving him a knowing look in return.

 

“Ain’t you cold?” Noctis crossed his arms, eyes lingering just a moment too long on a pert nipple on Gladiolus’ bare chest.

 

“Freeze’n.” replied Gladiolus, his face somewhat quizzical. “But the kid gets cold and was run’n around the forest with his nethers out. Dunno what he is, know he’s not uh...human. But he’s still a kid and he needed something.”

 

“Good morning to you too.” Ignis shifted, snapping his fingers to call Noctis back to attention.

 

Noctis nodded, setting his eyes on amber ones. “He’s an Astraling. Pretty rare. Actually, should be thankful you’re taking care of him. Kinda like guardians. Still kids, though. But I’m just gonna skip all this chit chat, I am sure Ignis has already done the pleasantries. I’ve got a job to do. I need answers. First off, when did you turn?”

 

“I can appreciate you getting to the point. I’m...not sure the exact time. But...recently. When we got out here. It went south pretty damn quickly, that's for damn sure. This place used to be peaceful, but it's crawling with some pretty bad nasties now. My comrades and I, we saw something. I know it was Talcott now, but then, we just saw something running about and calling us. Pretty sure he was trying to lead out of here in hindsight.”

 

Gladiolus went on to tell them that they were all aware the child was no human. His eyes were too large and his skin was bluish. They eventually ignored him, rather than try to pursue him, figuring that he was a monster. Something that cast an illusion to distract them. They had felt a threatening presence. Of course, all of them had placed their fears in the wrong place.

 

“It wasn’t a damn wolf that got us. I don’t know what the fuck it was. I barely had time to see it. It was taller than me by at least… a good two feet. Looked like it didn’t have skin. Antlers or branches or something. I don’t know-”

 

“Shit.” Noctis sucked his teeth. Gladiolus raised an eyebrow at him. “Tell you later. Keep going. I assume that's what killed your comrades. Still don’t know about you. Or what turned you.”

 

“Right…” the larger man looked a bit dissatisfied having to wait to see what was on the other’s mind, but continued regardless. “Well whatever the thing was messed me up pretty bad. I think I only even got away because of Talcott. Astraling, you said? Pretty handy with illusions or somethin’. Enough for the thing to lose sight of me. Had to thank em.”

 

Gladiolus began chuckling, a smile on his lips like he recalled a fond memory. “I know he’s not human, but I still thought ‘where are his parents?’. Actually looked for em before he told me he just ‘was’. No parents or nothin. Just…’was’. Sorry- getting sidetracked. I’ve got pretty shitty luck. I was actually about to head back to town after resting for a few days. Talcott said he could point me out the safest route back. Should have waited for day. I didn’t really realize just how bad this place was at night. Came bounding out of nowhere. Snarl’n. It went for Talcott. Probably figuring smaller was better. I wasn’t just gonna let it go down like that.”

 

He pat his chest, fingers touching long scars going down his chest. Then to his side where  it was clear a rather gnarly bite had been.

 

“Didn’t kill em, but messed up his leg pretty bad. I had little choice but to stay here. First it was just to recover. I couldn’t make it very far in my condition. So I ended up with Talcott again. But I figured out pretty quickly I...was infected.”

 

“Noble cause at the very least.” Ignis gave him  a single look denoting his approval.

 

It wasn’t something Noctis could look down on either. He thought about it and he could honestly say he’d probably wind up the same. At least fighting to protect the Astraling. Fortunately for him, he was immune to the lycan disease among many others.

 

“Alright, so you are hiding out here?” Noctis asked, arms folded and weight shifted to one side.

 

“I couldn’t go home. Not like this. I was savage. I want to be in control. I don’t want to ruin someone’s life. Make em like me…”

 

Noctis’ attention was grabbed once more. “Alright. Question. You’re protecting Talcott, yeah? So, how much blood do you have on your hands? There was a body with traces of fur in the wounds. That you're doing?”

 

Gladiolus thought for a moment, digging through his mind and the foggier moments of his transformations. “Maybe. I was...bad for the first month. But there weren’t too many people. I uh...might be responsible for some missing livestock and the like. But people? I can’t say I haven’t. Usually hunters who try to hurt the harmless sort.”

 

“The sort that don’t know any better.” Ignis added.

 

“There are plenty who know better and still don’t care. Voidseekers too. Gladio, any idea how recent the last guy you killed was?”

 

Once again, Gladiolus pondered. His fingers tapping against his chin. “Almost a month ago. That important?”

 

Noctis swore again. “Body we saw was fresher than that.”

 

“Noct, would you like to inform us as to what is going on in that head of yours?”

 

The voidseeker groaned, dragging his hands over his face. “Not really. I’m hoping I’m wrong. Astralings can conjure illusions, play minor tricks. Minimal magicks. We know werewolves have no magic and they aren’t  _ this _ territorial. This thing is violent as hell, doesn’t like other spirit like creatures in its area or humans. It’s presence is creating this atmosphere. It can kill well trained men and given that brief description Gladio gave me, I am thinking we’ve got a fucking leshen.”

 

Ignis’ perfect countenance faltered and out spilled the words, “Well...shit.”

“Exactly.”

 

Concern knotted up Gladiolus’ brow. He knew little of these men but he was a decent judge of character. Decent enough to know that someone like Ignis did not swear lightly. Well enough to know someone like Noctis was confident in his abilities and if he worried, Gladiolus should worry. “What do we do?”

 

Noctis went into detail on his knowledge of leshens. How powerful they were. Territorial. It was possible someone summoned it for one reason or another and did not truly know what they were capable of. Leshen could call upon the forest itself to fight with it. It could also be possible that the werewolf that turned Gladiolus was a fledgeling or perhaps it was just another thing that send the leshen into a rage.

 

Immediately, the voidseeker and Ignis began to develop a plan to rid the forest of its bane. Now that they knew what they were looking for, Noctis could hunt it down via his senses and with the aid of his skull pendant. They’d need to rid the area of totems that were no doubt hidden in the forest before taking on the spirit.

 

\--

 

The plan had taken a full three days to set into place. It had been more difficult than expected to track down not only totems, but ingredients Noctis could use to lace their weapons with to actually harm the creature. On top of which, he aimed to make a concoction to aid his speed.

 

Noctis was crouched over a small pot, watching oil separate from various flora as he mashed a pestle into them.

 

“You’re grinding far too much without adding myrtle.” Ignis spoke with thinly veiled discontent.

 

“I’m mixing it just fine. Who’s the voidseeker here? Me or you?”

 

“You, however, I have watched you make unbalanced batches time and time again. You are resistant to poisons. Not completely immune or indifferent to pain. Allow me to fix this before you-”

 

“It’s fine, Iggy.”

 

“Noct, I will count to three. One-”

 

Noctis raised his hands defensively and stepped away from the pot, allowing Ignis to salvage his questionable alchemical skills. “Fiiine.”

 

Gladiolus laughed, gently patting the head of a sleeping Talcott. “You two seem close. How long have you known each other?”

 

“Oh...I’d say, hmmm.” Ignis paused in thought, adjusting the ratio of ingredients. “Fifty years. Give or take.”

 

Gladiolus’ eyes widened and he looked between the two very young faces. “You said  _ fifteen _ , right?”

 

“Iggy.” Noctis exchanged a wordless conversation with his partner.

 

Ignis waved his hand, brushing aside concerns. “I hardly think a werewolf is going to take issue with inhumans. Voidseekers a quite long lived as mutants. Noctis here is a young voidseeker at seventy years.”

 

“That...explains those.” Gladiolus gestured at his eyes. “So, what about you? You a voidseeker too?”

 

“He’s a bruxa.”

 

“Half.” Ignis corrected. “My mother was a bit of a nuisance. It’s how we met, actually.”

 

Noctis shifted once more, this time somewhat uncomfortably. “Yeah…” Gladiolus looked between the two, the odd air about at the mention of Ignis’ mother. “She was the ‘Bloody Baroness’.”

 

“Thought that stuff was just what folks told their kids to keep ‘em behaving.” Gladiolus then examined himself briefly before chuckling at himself. “But, I guess we’re all proof there's more in this world than you’d think. She still a problem?”

 

“Oh, she’s quite dead.” said Igni nonchalantly. “Oh, come now, Noct. It’s been fifty years. I’ve never once faulted you for it. My father and myself warned her innumerous times that sooner a later a hunter would come for her if she did not stop needlessly slaughtering so many. I’m not positive how my father ever ended up with a bruxa. Aside from the obvious. They tend to be beautiful.”

 

Gladiolus could only think to himself that their relationship was a bit odd, but questioned it no further. If they could become friends after an event like that, perhaps Noctis wasn’t as bad as he seemed.

 

\--

 

The hour had come for them to bait out their mark. Talcott had been safely tucked away into the cave with Noctis drawing a ward on the door to keep all else out. A glen was chosen as their battle ground strictly for mobility. While leshen were unnaturally fast and could take advantage of a clearing in the forest, the last thing they needed was to lose their own mobility due to trees. Likely the reason trained knights fell so quickly to the creature.

 

“Get ready. When it comes, it’s gonna be pissed.”

 

With none of its totems around, Noctis built a sloppy one in the clearing. It could hardly be called one, really. It was but a few smooth stones stacked atop each other, a sprinkling of dirt, hastily scribbled runes, and the skull of the hare they’d eaten days ago. Standing before it, Noctis degloved and ran his blade over his palm, letting red drip over it.

 

His aim was to challenge the leshen by claiming domain over the area. 

 

As soon as his blood seeped into the stone, a gentle wind caused the blades of grass to ripple like waves in every direction, outwards from the totem.

 

In under five minutes, they heard a roar that was not a roar. It was loud, but low. A sound of an amalgamation of countless beasts crying out at once, reverberating on itself.

 

And then it was there. Having rushed from the trees. 

 

A tall...thing. Its head was nothing more than the skull of a stag. Its body was boney and darker than a chasm. The leshen had arms that extended past its knee with clawed fingers as longer than any of their hands. Moss hung from all over the towering spirit. Though it had no eyes, Noctis could feel its gaze boring into him.

 

“Told you it was gonna be pissed.”

 

The leshen charged, swinging sharp claws down at the man who dared to claim any part of its territory. Noctis sidestepped it, a quick spin on the ball of his foot. His sword unsheathed and struck down the back of it. Its flesh sizzled.

 

All of their blades had been coated in its bane.

 

If it was angry before, it was livid now. Surprised and furious that this human could bring it harm. It had expected Noctis to go down with a single hit, but it would not make the same mistake twice. This time, it struck much faster, knocking the voidseeker back and staining him red.

 

He got back to his feet, wiping at his mouth, “Yeah. That seems about right.” he reached into his pouch and retrieved a small flask, downing the contents. Ignis would be due thanks after this. His brew proved to be far better what he would have made. There was only a slight discomfort to the potion and it quickened his reflexes, allowing him to process visuals faster.

 

“Take any opening you can get!” Noctis shouted and immediately set upon the leshen, now able to see and parry it.

 

While he occupied it, frustrated it, Ignis was able to get into openings and chip away at the spirit. He slashed at its ankles, the back of its knees at every opportunity, hoping to slow it further. Gladiolus brought down his heavy sword when Noctis needed to regain his footing.

 

What Noctis had not mentioned to them was that this fight would go on longer than the few minutes it normally took him once they’d found their mark. Leshen were not exactly a run of the mill monster. Noctis was merely biding time. He needed more help than just a half-blood bruxa and a knight.

 

Soon, he heard what he was waiting for. The sound of Gladiolus in pain. He dropped his sword and clutch and his face, doubling over. Dusk must have finally given way to nightfall. The wolf had come.

 

Gladiolus was far stronger, far faster than he was as a human and that was what Noctis needed. A weakened leshen before night finally arrived and someone with the strength to subdue it. Gladiolus fought more ferociously, leaping at it back, he sunk sharpened teeth into it, grabbing at its arms and arching it backwards.

 

Exposed, Noctis had ample time to aim for its heart, hurling his sword up to it. He carved into the struggling spirit, cutting out a rotted heart and tossing it towards Ignis. Noctis had to shout to the werewolf a few times to get him to hear his command to let go, but when he got through to him, the voidseeker swiftly ran his blade clean across the leshen’s shoulders and landed with a thump on the plush grass below.

 

Before it was given time to reform itself, they were quick to burn its heart and banish its spirit back to the void.

 

With it banished, the unnatural cold and fog dissipated with it. The thick, heavy air lifted and though it was night, it seemed all the brighter for it.

 

The job was done and they could return.

 

But there was an issue. 

 

And his name was Gladiolus.

 

With the actual threat dead, Talcott could remain peacefully in the forest and be the actual guardian spirit it needed. The people could go back to foraging and far fewer people would lose their way. However...Gladiolus remained changed forever. They couldn’t exactly just leave him be, let him return to the town or dwell in the forest. As in control as he was, he was still fairly feral when he turned with the moon in the sky. He could slip up. All it took was someone escaping from him with a bite and there would be a rise of likely far less tamed werewolves amok. They could not talk. At least, not have a full conversation until daybreak. They’d get nowhere fast with the limited speech Gladiolus was capable of in this form. When the sun rose, or rather, when Noctis rose, they could converse.

 

The thing was, that Gladiolus agreed with the two. He didn’t trust himself to remain ever in control. It was why he hadn’t returned home. It was why he had not wandered further.

 

“Then come with us.” Noctis added after struggling with what words to use. “You’re trying, just like Ignis is. Obviously we can’t really stay in populated areas during moons, but you’d be safe with us. You look out for us. We look out for you. And if you ever lose yourself and attack anyone that didn’t have it coming, I swear I’ll put you down myself.”

 

Ignis shook his head, dusting off his clothes. “I assure you, that last part was meant in the friendliest way possible. Noct has such a marvelous grasp on words.”

 

Noctis rolled his eyes, but Ignis was not incorrect. He had meant it just as his friend had said.

 

For a long time, the larger man thought. It was probably the best bet he could take. Travel with those that understood him. And those that could stop him if he began hurting people. There was only a matter of time before he’d be discovered in the forest now that it could be traversed again. Not every hunter would give pause and mull over his defensive stances. And it would keep his family, his sister safe.

 

Gladiolus agreed readily. But he had a condition...

 

\---

 

Noctis and Ignis rode back into town on chocobo back, various things tied to the sides of their birds. One that stood out was the head of the leshen, strange, black, meaty tendrils hanging from the oversized skull.

 

A brief meeting with Cor. They presented the head to him, along with the breastplates of the fallen knights and their remains, albeit cleaned, so that they may be laid to rest. With it, they included the broadsword of Gladiolus. Their reward collected, the pair had another task to complete.

 

Iris was fairly hard to track down. She seemed hard at work, likely to keep her mind elsewhere. Ignis placed a rolled up parchment in her hand which she unraveled and read. She read it twice, her face becoming more puzzled the second time through.

 

Afterwards, she held it close and looked to the hunters. “Take me to him.”

 

When it was dark, they’d lead Iris out of town to the edge of the forest, lanterns in hand.

 

“Now, we could not stay in an inn, unfortunately. We’d rather you meet in a more pleasant manner, but our options are limited. Just...try not to be startled.” Ignis placed his hand to her back reassuringly, coaxing her forward.

 

“We’re here.” Noctis called out.

 

There was a shuffling before them, a bit of brush moved, but then stopped altogether. A long pause. A whine. Then the shuffling began again only to stop once more.

 

“Gladi?” she stepped forward, eyes squinting into the darkness. “Gladi, whats wrong? Come out, you’re scaring me.”

 

Silence.

 

Ignis left her side and entered the forest. Shortly after, he could be seen holding a hand? A paw? Something. Encouraging whatever he lead forward. “Come. You’re brave to have come this far, now let us finish it, hm?”

 

Gladiolus whined and snorted through his nose and stepped out cautiously. His head bowed and eyes low so he did not have to see the look on his sister’s face. The look of shock, denial, horror. All of it.

 

Iris took several steps back, her initial reaction being to run for her life because these hunters were clearly trying to get her killed. Her back collided with Noctis’ chest and he held her still by the shoulders.

 

“Let go!” she screamed.

 

But Noctis held her firmly. Gladiolus dared not move. Iris would not give up so easily, she struggled and struck Noctis only for her to catch her again. “Look! Iris! Look! Does he  _ look _ like someone who’s gonna attack you? Look at him. He wanted you and only you to know. At least look at him.”

 

It was true enough that she hadn’t been attacked. Although it did nothing to quiet her fears, only making her think that it would come later. But, as a reflex, she looked at the werewolf. If anything his posture suggested he was scared. Hunched over, ears down, tail tucked between his legs. Her eyes wandered him and things began to stand out to her. The scar over his eye, across his chest, the strange pattern of stripes marking fur that looked oddly familiar. And then there was the necklace that sat atop his chest. A large ‘X’ made of onyx, the same stone as her own pendant.

 

“G-Gladi?”

 

His head lifted, large amber eyes looking to hers hopefully.

 

Iris covered her mouth, looking close to tears. “Gladi is that really you?”

 

“I’m.. Rrr...So-rry.” he strained.

 

The shock that he could talk was nothing compared to the joy she felt that her brother was alive. Iris ran to him and threw her arms around him, giving his chest a slap for making her worried for good measure. “Look what you’ve gone and done. You’re in there, aren’t you?”

 

Gladiolus’ heart soared. He’d expected her to run away, not to him. He returned her hug as best he could, tail swishing slightly from side to side.

 

Noctis smiled softly to himself. It was nice to see. The two hunters let Iris get everything off her chest she needed to before going more in depth about their plans for him and how he’d be sure to send a letter as often as he could. But as it was now, they needed Gladiolus to be presumed dead.

 

They would leave tonight so no one would see a face that was said to be dead leaving by day. Once goodbyes were said, Iris walked with them to a small chocobo drawn carriage that was tucked away a little further ahead. She watched Noctis and Gladiolus climb inside while Ignis took the driver’s seat.

 

She was still drying her eyes, looking up at Ignis, “Take care of my brother for me. He can be a little hard headed. Make sure he writes. And...thank you. For understanding. Both of you.”

 

“Think nothing of it. Until the next.” Ignis touched his heart, bowing slightly before snapping the reins and leaving Iris and the town behind in search of the next contract while Gladiolus pulled aside the curtains to watch his family, his home, and the forest as they all faded from view.


	4. What Happens In Hammerfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone is being stalked by a creature and needs the boys to help. Noctis has difficulty focusing and Ignis opens up a whole new world for Gladiolus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did someone ask for Prompto? And also stupid amounts of sex? No? Well, that's what you're getting. Ah who am I kidding, we all love Prompto.
> 
> This is basically semi-set up and PWP?
> 
> Also I am that person who calls Cindy CIDny because thats her god damn name in Japan and how dare my dub miss the opportunity to call her Cidny. It's a closer link to Cid too, so???? How???

The road had been an interesting one. A little over a month of travel and Gladiolus had fallen into place fairly well with Noctis and Ignis. While he would still sometimes have complaints about Noctis’ ‘can't be arsed’ attitude, he got along with his new companions well and he going to do his damnedest to protect them. He wasn't going to lose more.

 

He noticed the way the two seemed to be able to communicate without words. Particularly useful when stealth was the name of the game. However, they seemed to use it far more for something he couldn’t quite grasp. Usually after stealing a glance at him.

 

Gladiolus pretended not to notice these looks, but questioned them internally.

 

Another peculiar thing he found was he could swear that a pass had been made at him. Here and there. But it could be his imagination because these two were… well. There was definitely something between them. He couldn’t say he’d ever looked at a man the way they occasionally looked at each other. At least not quite the same.

 

Gladiolus pretended not to notice his curiosity piquing over the days.

 

That night was one of those nights where they were safely able to rent a room, though if he were being honest, he’d come to love camping out. However, nights inside of inns came with the chance of Noctis being bold.

 

Gladiolus had decent situational awareness. He knew when to feign sleep. There were only two small beds in the already small room. His larger frame saw him take a bed for himself while the other two shared. But now, he could soft murmurs, sighs. He could hear rustling, clothes being discarded likely. They were trying their best to be quiet, to go slow. But he could hear the old wood of the bed creak softly and Ignis and Noctis stifling moans. 

 

Gladiolus pretended not to notice the dull ache between his legs.

 

Come morning, Gladiolus was awake shortly after Ignis. Another normality. He’d come to realize that unless he had to be awake for a reason, Noctis slept as much as he could. He wasn’t sure if he blamed him. Being a voidseeker seemed tiresome. Or the man was simply lazy.

 

Of course, on this day it was a little harder to pretend that he hadn’t been awake. Harder not to look at him differently. Harder not to let his mind wander and wonder.

 

“Morn’n.”

 

“Ah, good morning.” Ignis smiled, “I was just about to see if I couldn’t have a bit of breakfast brought up. Likely just for us. It’s nearly impossible to get Noct awake at this hour. I cannot say how thankful I am to have company. Dreadfully boring spending much of the day with an unconscious voidseeker.”

 

Gladiolus smiled back at him, brief, but candid. “Yeah...he sleeps like a rock when he wants to. ...Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask. Hope I'm not being rude, but, uh.  What...exactly are you? To Noct, I mean.”

 

Ignis looked at Noctis and his smile changed. If only he could be awake for this question. He’d never quite pinpointed that himself. “A grand mystery, isn’t it? What brings this about?”

 

“Just. Uh.” he paused, trying not to look like he didn’t know exactly what brought up the question. He failed under Ignis’ gaze, his mind going back to just a few hours ago.

 

Ignis filled in the blanks easily from there, “Ah. Forgive us. We thought you were firmly asleep. I admit I am not without urges, though sometimes it is more difficult than I’d like to ignore them. To answer your question, I imagine I am a friend that he sees something of a lover in. I’ve not inquired about it in years. He’s not fond of talking about his feelings.”

 

“Oh. So you’re…”

 

“Yes. I feared that might be terribly obvious. I try not to wear it on my sleeve, some people are more concerned with that than-”

 

“No, no, not that. I don’t care about that. Be you. I just, uh, well now that I know it's not my imagination… you two, I mean. I guess I misread after all, haha.”

 

“Misread what, Gladio?”

 

“I’m an idiot, I thought you… even Noct were, ya know, give’n me ‘eyes’. Ya know, passes?”

 

“Oh, we  _ absolutely  _ were. I was beginning to think we were being too subtle.” Ignis laughed to himself quietly and watched as Gladiolus  grew even more confused by this confession. “Does it bother you? We’ll stop immediately if it causes you discomfort. We’re traveling together, after all.”

 

He thought for a moment. It never made him squirm. He had more questions he wanted answered about them and himself. But not once did he ever feel uncomfortable. “I...guess it doesn’t. But, I guess I’m just a little confused. If you two are-”

 

Ignis stood and crossed to Gladiolus, leaning over him while he sat on the mattress. “If you think I am the only person Noctis beds, you are quite wrong. The invitation still stands if you’re curious. Now, I think I’ll go down for breakfast instead. Join me?”

 

While he pitch suggestion this was a question, the tone stated it was not.

 

“Yes,  _ sir _ .”

 

\---

 

When Noctis woke, he found a note stating that his companions grew tired of waiting for him to wake and went on without him to scour the town for whispers of jobs and would meet him back at the inn by evening.

 

That was fine by him, some time alone wasn’t all that bad. 

 

Setting out, Noctis stopped by the matron of their inn to pick up something to eat on his way out. She could be described as nothing short of voluptuous. She had green eyes and a mess of short, blonde hair sat atop her head. Going by Cidny, Noctis had a feeling she knew exactly what she was doing. The only way someone could consider her unsightly was a vision impairment and he figured that her use of a bodice with a plunging neckline played on that. There were many a patron who visited just for the chance to talk to her, attempt to woo her. A pretty face, pushed up breasts, and a tight pair of pants that hugged her every curve would see a steady flow of new and old faces. But Cidny was not just a pretty face, she was a businesswoman at heart and had the work ethic to back it up. She ran most of the business on her own, taking responsibility for the inn guests above and the tavern guests below. The woman even handled the occasional smithing orders, leaving the kitchen to a man named Takka.

 

“Afternoon, sleepyhead. Yer friends left without ya ‘while back. Had somethin fixed up for ya in the meantime. Nothin too fancy, just meat skewers, but it should tide ya over til y’all come back for supper.”

 

“Thanks.” it was odd to him how personable she was to him, but he figured someone like her would take care of a customer even if it was a troll that rolled in with a coin purse.

 

“Don’t mention it. I’ll make sure to let y’all know if I hear anything special. Oh! Ya know, there’s this thing. Friend of mine thinks somethin’ nasty is follow’n him around. If he swings by while y’all are here, I’ll introduce ya. Might get a bit of work done and help him out at the same time. Two birds and all that.”

 

“Thanks, Cidny.”

 

“Be see’n ya, Voidseeker!”

 

\---

 

Noctis wasn’t positive how anything ‘nasty’ could be following anyone in this town. Sure, there were unsavory parts like any other place, but ‘nasty’ usually implied demons, monsters and the like.

 

Everything about Hammerfall told him that they’d be moving on from this place quickly. The listings he saw on the noticeboard weren’t the most enticing things he’d ever seen.

 

_ Help wanted: _

_ Rats in the cellar. Reward for clearing them out. _

_ Inquire at 20 Baker’s Hollow _

 

_ Sorceress Needed: _

_ Bastard needs to be taught a lesson. _

_ Hexes sought. _

_ Handsome pay. _

_ 2 Courel’s Tail _

 

_ Keep out of my shed!: _

_ I know it's you, Martin. _

_ Stop stealing my godsdamn plough. _

 

_ Tracker or Detective wanted: _

_ Can’t say too much here. _

_ Need someone who is really good at pinpointing anything. _

_ Price negotiable. _

_ 15 Sun Song Alley _

 

It was almost funny how incredibly mundane it all was. He’d turned away from the board to head elsewhere and very nearly collided into someone. That was odd in itself. He hadn’t heard them approach and that was all too rare. Perhaps he’d been too distracted in reading.

 

“Sorry! I wasn’t paying attention and- Oh!”

 

The voice stopped speaking and Noctis already knew why. They’d seen his eyes. Their glow. It was usually a conversation stopper more than a starter. However, he’d be just fine if this time it was a starter. The young man before him looked to be just his type. Although that could be said of anyone marginally attractive and breathing. But this one  _ was _ particularly cute. Blonde, meticulously groomed hair, bluish-purple eyes, and a cluster of freckles.

 

The young man became flustered the longer he looked at Noctis until he realized he’d been staring. “Uh. Right! Sorry! I was just about to check on my post and- are you posting or looking? Please say you're looking.”

 

He was jittery. As if something would snatch him up if some part of him wasn't actively moving. Nerves possibly. There was the possibility being near a voidseeker could make him uncomfortable despite his services being useful.

 

“Looking.” he said, voice dripping with meaning.

 

Meaning seemingly lost on the other. “Great!”

 

The blonde explained what he was looking for. Someone who could pick up subtle details and track down nasties. He said that he knew someone was stalking him and that they probably weren't human. He'd have notes left for him describing things he'd done on his own. Or ‘gifts’ in odd places. Increasingly uncomfortable gestures. But he'd never seen them. At least not to his knowledge. But he knew they weren't human and he knew it would not be safe forever.

 

Noctis, however, had a hard time paying attention to the details. His attention lay elsewhere. Namely on the man in front of him and the question of how much of him beneath those clothes was covered in freckles. 

 

At least the distraction was mutual. “You...don't have to decide now. If you wanna take it up, my address is on this notice right here. Just...if- if you want.”

 

He did not stick around. It seemed difficult for him to be around Noctis and Noctis couldn't focus. Perhaps if he could, he might have noticed the crossbow strapped to the blonde. Or maybe that his medallion hanging from his neck had been vibrating the entire time…

 

\---

 

Indeed this was something of a quiet town. Even its slums were unremarkable. The only thing they’d picked up was that there was a chronic fatigue affecting some of the upper class who employed the lower. They’d heard it so much that Ignis stopped his search for work in the area. At least actively. He'd not completely shut off his ears, although he did allow himself to spend more time speaking on a personal level with Gladiolus. Conversation did seem to float around a similar range of topics after their morning. 

 

“So what do you actually see in him?” Gladiolus did his very best not to come off rude. He was genuinely curious about what lay beneath the voidseeker’s surface.

 

Ignis chuckled. He'd expected  the question to come up eventually. It always did. “He has his charms, don't you think? He is troubled, but does not seek or require fixing. He looks cold and distant, but he is...or rather he can be, quiet caring. I doubt he'd ever admit it. Quite talented, but completely clueless when it comes to some things. Even himself. He's complex.”

 

“You coddle him.” 

 

“I take great pleasure in take king care of his needs.” Ignis paused, giving him a glance. “If you'd like me to ‘coddle’ you as well, you need only say so.”

 

Gladiolus only made something of a strangled noise in the back of his throat.

 

“...And I now realize that sounded more sexual than intended. That being said, I did specify  **every** need.”

 

He coughed, chuckling. “You sure did. And if I wanted, say, a little taste before I took the whole meal…”

 

Ignis surveyed the alleyway they walked through.  “I would say that is an excellent idea and I’d be delighted. However, I do prefer a roof over my head for such things. Why don't we head back for the day. I'm certain Noct has wandered off by now. Let us have a little chat along the way?”

 

As he said, the room was empty and the pair had felt decidedly more frisky since they'd left that morning,  though Ignis still reined himself in. Gladiolus was still new to this after all. He could not do the same things he'd do with his old friend, lest he overwhelm the man. They maintained eye contact, Ignis holding his hands and edging him towards a bed. Gladiolus sat, looking up at Ignis like a pup waiting to be allowed his treat. The expression was something Ignis could get behind. Noctis looked at him with eyes that said ‘He will.’, Gladiolus looked at him with eyes that asked ‘Will he?’. The distinction was subtle, but ever so deliciously important. It made him feel mysterious, almost powerful. His lips lightly touched Gladiolus’ and the man wore his want of a longer kiss on his face plain as day.

 

Yet, much like a good dog, Gladiolus did not leap towards the treat, but waited, his hands atop his thighs, forming balls.

 

“And we are still not opposed to this?” Ignis asked, removing his gloves.

 

“No, sir.”

 

Once again, Ignis kissed him, this time a little longer. “And we understand should you find me favorable there is the stipulation that Noctis must at some point be included?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

Again, another kiss, longer, deeper. “And we still readily agree?”

 

Without hesitation, he replied,  “Yes, sir.”

 

“Then you may touch me.”

 

And so he did, placing his hands on Ignis’ hips, relishing in the feeling of the tongue that pushed passed his lips.

 

Ignis, if he were being honest, liked the authority he'd been given. While he had some sway over Noctis’ choices, there was nothing quite like being able to command a former knight. Gladiolus was used to taking orders and that seemed to follow him to bed. His hands wandered to Ignis’ backside, cupping him and squeezing with interest while he discovered things about himself. When he got a little too adventurous and touched the front, Ignis had only said ‘Not yet.’, and that was all it took for him to obediently move his hands elsewhere. 

 

Ignis sat on his lap, allowing Gladiolus to explore, their hips firmly pressed together. It took only seconds for calloused hands to reach for the buttons fastening Ignis’ jacket shut. Ignis smiled, giving him a nod. The fine suede jacket finding its way to the floor not too long after. Gladiolus let his hands run up the sides of the half-blood, his thumbs pressing into his nipples and lazily drawing circles with them til they became pert beneath the thin shirt. He lifted the lightweight cloth and clamped his lips over the little hardened nub and sucked, earning the smallest sound of approval from Ignis and he knew immediately that he absolutely needed more. He wanted to hear more of the sounds he'd make with Noctis, but he wanted volume. 

 

\--

 

Below, Noctis had missed the return of his friends by nearly forty minutes.  He still found it hard to concentrate, the image of a freckled face kept coming back to mind. He'd at least grabbed the notice from the board. He hardly remembered the description of the job, but if he could just see that face again.

 

He ordered dwarven vodka, either his best idea for getting his mind off the blonde or his worst. It smelled like it could burn away hairs. Cidny herself seemed to be the only other person besides dwarven patrons who didn’t mind the smell. But the woman was also used to the fumes that came along with blacksmithing. 

 

“Maybe this’n will put some hair on that babyface of yours, Voidseeker.” she winked, placing the mug in front of Noctis at the bar. “Surprised you're not huddled up in the corner.”

 

“It's quiet.” Noctis replied with a shrug. That much was true. There were only a few customers around at the moment and he was able to feel not so cramped. Plus Cidny just had one of magnetic personalities. 

 

“Fer’now. It's fix’n to get real noisy in a few. Folks are bound to be coming in for late lunches and it's gonna be packed tighter than bosom in a bodice til the kitchen closes after supper.”

 

Noctis...did not quite like the idea. The idea of being trapped in a crowd to be precise. The idea of a tightly filled bodice sat just fine.

 

He mumbled something about leaving sooner than planned when he lost track of his thoughts again. A swig of strong vodka brought him back, he coughed and wiped his mouth on the back of hand to Cidny’s amusement. 

 

It didn't last long. His mind became a fog again, hazier. A voice called out from the threshold.

 

“Cidny, help!”

 

Just as quickly as the voiced stopped, Cidny shouted back, “Y’all remember that time you saw Paw-paw scrub’n down his unmentionables in the bathhouse?”

 

“Oh, come on! That-” the voice cried and then fell silent, “Actually, that worked.”

 

The voice approached and sat down right next to Noctis. Cidny smiled and gestured at him, “This works great! See this’n is that friend I told you about who needs help. Prompto, this here is Noctis, he's a voidseeker.”

 

Prompto blanched at the mention of voidseeker and the two turned to face each other. “H-Hey…”

 

The brief clarity he'd had was immediately disbursed, lending to the fog creeping over his mind. 

 

“Cid, please.”

 

Cidny crossed her arms and huffed, “Oh, by the infernal’s great fuzzy ass. Hey, Prompto? Afterbirth.”

 

And all was clear.

 

At least partially. Noctis could think again and it didn't slip passed that it had something to do with this Prompto. He also finally took notice that his medallion vibrated near him. Noctis’ eyes narrowed and he grabbed hold of Prompto’s arm.

 

“What the hell are you? Start talking.”

 

Prompto barely had a lid on his panic, trying to pull away. “D-Dunno what you're talking about, buddy.”

 

“Don’t bullshit me, there's something about you. You're either some creature or magic, but you'd better answer me quick.”

 

“Magic?” he questioned to himself, relieved to hear the word. “Magic! It's magic! It's my bangle, look at my bangle!”

 

Sure enough, there was a bangle wrapped around his right wrist. It was made of a precious metal he wasn't familiar with, but it did appear to have a resonance to it. On it were scrawlings in a language he couldn’t comprehend. A word, perhaps two, were parsed from it all. He only knew the vague meaning of them from teachings from his voidseeker youth. He didn't quite understand its purpose, but it was at least, actually magical. 

 

“Right, now why don't we get y’all calmed down before I have to haul Mr. Voidseeker outta here by his ear.”

 

Noctis released his arm, “Sorry. What is that anyway?”

 

“Uh, it's a charm.” he said unsure if what came out of his mouth was believable or not. “It's like, uh, a ward? Yeah, a ward! It's to help keep whoever is following me around at bay!”

 

“And...it, what, distracts them?”

 

Prompto laughed nervously, avoiding his gaze. “Yeah.”

 

“I'm having a hard time believing you. You're acting real flighty.”

 

Cidny saw fit to interrupt them, “That's just Prompto, boy can't sit still. And I reckon anyone would be sweat’n with a voidseeker look’n at em sideways.”

 

“Good point. Sorry again.” Noctis rubbed his neck, finding himself apologizing more than he would normally bother.

 

“And there’s him think’n you’re cute’r than a fresh hatched chocobo.” she smirked.

 

“ _ Cidny! _ ” Prompto shouted in alarm, burying his face in his hands.

 

“What? I’m just help’n things along. May as well get it out in the air. The ‘ol voidseeker here gets a little too skittish fer my like’n when he thinks you’re act’n off. Plus, he got all distracted, so I’m think’n he thinks you’re cute too. Am I a matchmaker or what?” she laughed to herself, slapping her knee. “Helps don’t it? What’dya say, will ya help out my friend? I can sweet’n the pot and make y’alls stay free of charge. If’n the job gets done, ‘course.”

 

Noctis grinned, still looking at the blonde. “Deal. Now let’s talk business.”

 

Cidny was right. It was not long before more people began to flood the room. Which was fine for the time being. The more people there were holding rawkus conversations, the less chance there was of them being overheard and Noctis  _ did _ need a reminder of the job. He’d had his mind drift from it too many times before. They sat, predictably in corner booth as Prompto once again explained how he knew what followed him couldn’t be human.

 

“So why don’t you just use that?” Noctis pointed at the crossbow now discarded on the side of the table.

 

“Well, I would if it ever came at me. But I don’t know who it is. I only really use this thing on occasion. I’m not a hunter.”

 

“So...what are you?”

 

Prompto adjusted in his seat, “That...alright, so I’m something of an artist. I paint. Shush, let me finish. Taught myself, that sort, and I get lucky here and there and people will hire me for whatever. At first, I didn’t really mind getting anonymous gifts of paints, brushes, canvas. That stuff costs a looot of gil. I figure it was just someone I worked for repaying me. Act of kindness.”

 

Noctis nodded when appropriate, showing his attention was held.

 

“But then I’d run out of something specific, tell no one about it, open my door the next day to go out and get it and its there on my door step.”

 

“Interesting.”

 

“Not even the end of it. Private things that don’t see the light of day they know about. A noble had me paint him nude and yeah, I painted near the window, and ‘light of day’ may have been the wrong thing to say, but it was the third story! The tallest house around, no one should have been able to see that. And I got a letter describing how they liked how concentrated I was even though they knew how pretty he was and stuff. It’s creepy.”

 

“Well, definitely sound a stalker. Got anything else?”

 

Prompto swallowed his saliva. “Yeah. I’ve seen them, but I haven’t seen them. I see them in my dreams, but they never look the same. But I know it's them. The way they look  **_at_ ** me is the same. Its crazy. But I know it’s them. It feels looming. Like they are in complete control and just...there. Doing nothing. But with all the power to do...probably anything.”

 

“And now it’s interesting again.”

 

“So you’ll do it?”

 

“Yeah. Think I got an idea on what could be the problem. And how to get them to show itself.” Noctis drank again from the much too strong alcohol. “So what are you have’n?”

 

It took a second for Prompto to realize he was offering a drink, to which he politely refused. “Nah. Too much makes me make some pretty big mistakes.”

 

“That hair wasn’t a mistake?”

 

Was that a joke? He was pretty sure that tone meant a joke. As attractive as he was, it was a surprise that this sulky looking man could crack a joke. He seemed much more inviting now. “Because yours was such a good judgement call. Brood much?”

 

Noctis smiled over the brim of his mug, “Oh, I  _ like  _ you.”

 

“...Maybe I’ll have one after all.”

 

Noctis had thought it was a great idea. Now he could try to chat up the plucky artist whom already had an attraction to him, at least on a surface level. Although Noctis’ attempts at being suave were laughed off by Prompto. ‘That’s so lame’ was thrown about a few times, yet there was laughter. They were both in a good place. Not so intoxicated that they did not have their wits about them, but not exactly sober either. Noctis himself had unwound a bit.

 

“So what are we doing about this?”

 

“About what? Empty mugs? I’ll get Cidny and-” Prompto rose his arm to flag her down only to have Noctis lower it.

 

“About this whole attraction thing. We have our contract set, you coulda left a while ago. So we’re just dancing around the ‘should we?’ thing.” Noctis replied matter-of-factly.

 

“That’d...probably be a mistake if ‘should’ became ‘did’.”

 

“I’m all for making mistakes, Ignis could tell you.”

 

“Who?” Prompto shook his head, getting back on track. “Believe me, I want to believe it’ll be worth it.”

 

Noctis feeling somewhat challenged dropped his voice and leaned towards him. “Trust me, it’s worth it.”

 

Prompto laughed. Not  _ at _ him, per say, but it was something he heard often. “I just...I have this thing.”

 

“Mmhmm?”

 

“No one can keep up with me.”

 

It was Noctis’ turn to laugh. He’d heard  _ that _ again and again from Ignis. “I can keep you with you.”

 

“Last few said that too. Not a single one did.” he shrugged.

 

“Yeah. But were any of them voidseekers?”

 

Prompto’s eyes snapped up to Noctis’ with renewed interest. He recalled voidseekers were said to have bounds and bounds of stamina to keep up with the beasts they fought and suddenly this didn’t seem like a bad idea at all.

 

“W-We can head back to my place-”

 

“Fuck it, I have a room here. Upstairs. Let’s go.”

 

\--

 

The two were barely halfway up the stairs before they were on each other for a bit of fun. Prompto bit Noctis’ lip, tugging it and giggling in excitement. Noctis didn't seem to mind falling on his ass when they reached the top because he was pulled back to his feet and into an embrace quickly.

 

Key in lock, there was a shifting faintly behind the door, but Noctis preoccupied with Prompto did not notice it.

 

“Noct.” Ignis said calmly as he watched him tumble inside with a guest. “You're early.”

 

Noctis looked to Ignis who was only in leggings, pulling his hand away from a fully nude, fully erect, and fully embarrassed Gladiolus. “So are you.” and with a quick glance between Gladiolus’ legs he added, “Nice.”

 

“How are you all  **so** attractive? The hell!” Prompto groaned and covered his mouth.

 

There was a goofy grin on the voidseeker’s face, “I take it you're okay with us, Gladio.”

 

Gladiolus felt his heart thundering in his chest, lifting a pillow to cover himself. He felt like he'd been caught in an illicit affair. “I didn't think- I wasn't expecting company.”

 

“I-I’ll go…” Prompto took a step back to be halted by Noctis who didn't notice he was struggling with himself.

 

“It's fine. Stay. Not like there aren't two beds. Or we can join.”

 

Had this been a normal situation with ‘normal’ minded people, Noctis might have been slapped and left by himself. But this was not a normal situation and everyone present became increasingly more receptacle of the idea. 

 

“You're...not pissed?” Gladiolus was still a bit surprised though he knew how this relationship worked.

 

“Only that you started without me. Come here, Iggy. Me first. You alright with this, Prompto?”

 

Prompto bit his lip and nodded, “Y-Yeah.”

 

This was happening, wasn't it? The thing they'd all just agreed on vaguely was that everyone here would be intimate with another. As he watched Ignis undress Noctis and kneel before him, he considered his luck. Even if it turned out that Noctis was full of it and couldn't keep pace, there were still three of them and between them all he was bound to be somewhat satisfied. 

 

Prompto felt like a voyeur, watching Ignis expertly suck off the voidseeker’s cock and Gladiolus stroking himself slowly to it. He wanted in on this as soon as possible. His eyes locked onto Noctis and the voidseeker looked back, hand’s tangled in Ignis’ hair. Noctis bade him with a look and Prompto began to undress.

 

“Keep Gladio company for a bit.”

 

Gladiolus made room for the man whose name he didn't even know. What he did know was he could think of little else but sticking his dick in Ignis, but this guy would also work. Gladiolus scooted to the edge of the bed and held out his hand, eager for someone else's touch. Prompto took hold and allowed himself to be laid across, his head in Gladiolus’ lap facing an erection that begged for him to touch. And my was Gladiolus gifted. Probably the biggest Prompto had the pleasure of working with, but he remained undaunted and slid his lips down the entire length in one go.

 

“Shiva! That's good!” He felt his body tingle all over from that alone. Gladiolus pet Prompto’s head, letting his thick fingers push inside him while he watched Ignis sink onto Noctis’ cock. He groaned with desire, wishing it was him Ignis rode, pushing up into Prompto’s mouth.

 

Noctis wrapped his arms around Ignis’ waist, helping him bounce atop him. “Mmm, wish you could have my view. He took that whole thing in like nothing. You've got competition, Iggy.”

 

In immediate response, Ignis squeezed tightly and worked his hips harder. Noctis kissed his chest with a soft laugh and gave a thrust upwards.

 

“Fuuuuck.” Gladiolus swore. He grunted, panted, moaned. Far more vocal than they'd expected him to be as he felt his orgasm from his head to the tips of his toes, Prompto drinking it down in stride. 

 

“Already?” Noctis teased. 

 

“Give him a pass, he was clearly already worked up when we got here.”

 

Gladiolus hardly had time to recover, Prompto was already trying to palm him back to life before he changed hands again. This time to Ignis who was asked by Noctis to get him ready for him because he wanted to try Gladiolus first. Ever at his beck and call, that's what Ignis did. “I'm Ignis.” he whispered to Prompto, seemingly the only one concerned they'd not been properly introduced as he lay the blonde down. “You're stunning.” he added, whispered against his skin and pushing into him. It had been some time since Ignis had been inside anyone, but he found his rhythm in no time.

 

Noctis stood before Gladiolus who looked tired, yet willing. Noctis wanted very much to take him. Wondering if he'd make a fuss over being beneath him instead of atop. But he wanted to savour that experience and now was not the time. For now, he would warm Gladiolus to him. Kissing him, touching him.

 

“You alright?” he asked between a heated kiss.

 

“Yeah.” he may be shocked by the morning at how well he was taking the sudden change in lifestyle, but when both heads weren't complaining, he wouldn't nitpick.

 

Noctis felt all over the muscular body he'd wanted to touch since he first saw it, nipping at it, testing it. “This thing is huge.”

 

“Heh. Yeah…”

 

“I wanna see you split Iggy on it so bad.”

 

Gladiolus could not have agreed more. He'd had some underlying attraction to Ignis since day one and he was dying to feel him from inside.

 

The two watched, Noctis behind Gladiolus,  knees on the bed, kissing along his neck. They jokingly bet over who would come first and they'd both been wrong. Ignis, shuddering release within Prompto who latched onto tightly, not wanting to waste a single drop.

 

“You're not done yet. Gladio needs you.” Noctis beckoned Ignis who wearily came over and was laid flat. Gladiolus, as he did earlier,  awaiting permission. Granted, he slowly brought Ignis’ knees to the man’s ears, pleasantly surprised at his flexibility. 

 

Gladiolus pushed forward, although his aim was a bit high. Noctis saw to it to guide him, taking hold of his thick cock and guiding the head to the stretched hole. He sat on his haunches and observed Ignis taking him in slowly. They’d probably rushed it a bit from the sound of it, but my what a sight it was seeing Gladiolus’ sack slap against Ignis’ backside with each thrust he made.

 

“If you’re trying to tire me out with your friends, it’s not working.” Prompto crossed to Noctis and pulled him away from Ignis whose voice would surely go hoarse for how he cried out. “I still want this.” his fingers ran along Noctis’ length.

 

“I’m not done til you’re done.”

 

As soon as Noctis was inside of Prompto he began to understand why both Gladiolus and Ignis were quick to climax. He felt  _ amazing _ . Noctis felt like his body was alight with pleasure and if that wasn’t enough, Prompto seemed to be a needy lover. If he slowed down or pulled out to change position, he’d practically whine for him to continue. Prompto was so close to an orgasm he held Noctis like a vice, eagerly meeting the voidseeker’s thrusts as his voice deafened his ears until his body spasmed and he felt cum splash over his stomach. 

 

Noctis was not far behind and when he came for a moment he felt haze wash over him. Lazily, he pushed in and out, just to watch the way his body reacted. He expected that to be the end of it, the blonde had been with all of them in some way or another. But Prompto locked Noctis in place with his legs and brought him down into a kiss.

 

“More…” Prompto demanded quietly, chest heaving, his eyes bright with lust. 

 

“ _ Absolutely. _ ” And Noctis was smitten.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Points to anyone who guesses whats following Prompto.
> 
> Who has two thumbs and just wanted an excuse for all my boys to bone and therefore came up with this chapter? TRASH JESUS, THATS WHO!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto's secret is out and our stalker does not approve of the night of debauchery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story has been killed off. Not enough hits/bookmarks/comments to justify carrying on with what would have been a very, very long story.

“Morn’n.”

 

Prompto had woken up in a good mood. He'd slept soundly for the first time in a long while and it was thanks to a fantastic evening with three gentlemen. Namely the voidseeker. The one who was waking up at the moment.

 

Noctis felt slightly sore, but no worse for wear. The faintest bit of physical and mental strain touched his body, it was nothing he couldn’t shrug off.

 

Prompto beamed, rolling over to face Noctis who sat up, rubbing his eyes. “You were amaaazing,” his voice a bit low. “Did you have as good a time as I did?” he was surprised. Pleasantly so. Noctis was actually awake.

 

“Yeah.” Noctis smelled no breakfast and as he reached for the stand to look for a note, he saw two figures wrapped in each other out of his peripheral vision. Gladiolus. Ignis.

 

 **Ignis**.

 

Noctis looked back at the smiling face and bright eyes, to the bangle, and to his medallion which still had a dull vibration. It could be due to the bangle. Or Gladiolus. Or Ignis. But something didn't sit right. Once more he looked to the sleeping figures.

 

“Prompto.” Noctis started, his tone even but serious. “In fifty years, I have never woken up before Ignis. Never. Not even when he let's himself go. Gladiolus doesn't usually sleep in either. I'm going to give you a chance here. If I want the truth, I need to give it, right? Ignis. Half vampire. Bruxa. Gladiolus. Werewolf. Not exactly the easiest to put down. I'm a voidseeker. You know that. I hunt **dangerous** creatures. These guys here aren't dangerous. They’re my friends. I'm going to take a lie as a sign you are dangerous and can't be trusted. I'm gonna ask one more time… What are you?”

 

Prompto didn't like the thought of a voidseeker distrusting him. He knew what that could mean. Prompto preferred to be a lover, not a fighter and he could very much see Noctis was dead serious. Sitting up, he fiddled with his fingers and cautiously looked him in the eyes. “I'm...really sorry. They'll be fine,  they just need to sleep it off. I fed a little on them. I didn't really think you would be able to- ...I-I’m, um. An incubus.”

 

Noctis was a bit annoyed with himself. Of course he was. That's why he couldn’t concentrate. His mind had been affected to crave basic desires. It had nothing to do with the bangle. “So you've been drugging us with your pheromones.”

 

“N-No! Yes? ...sorta? Not on purpose! I don't use it on purpose. I like willing participants. I don’t ever...uh... **engage** with someone who is totally charmed. I just...sometimes I can't keep it in when I get...um...e-excited. Point is I didn't charm a soul. Maybe just made you more excited.  Accident! Honest! And you guys all have a thing going so I figured if I fed that way, no one gets hurt.”

 

“So this talk about people going in their sleep or being constantly exhausted?”

 

“Not me, I swear! I try to go as long as I can without vitae. Even when I do feed, I only feed off the person a little and just once so I don't hurt em. I can avoid them being tired, but I'm not...dangerous. You were the first I've ever had that I could have so much of. I gorged myself on you.”

 

The tone at which Prompto admitted he'd had more than his fill was laced with so much sexuality, Noctis was almost positive he was being seduced. Whether or not it was on purpose was unknown and he couldn’t let it distract him. “Got it. Then what's that? It magic, but-.”

 

Prompto looked at his wrist. “My bangle? It's...a glamour.”

 

“Incubi and succubi don't need stuff like this to glamour.”

 

He laughed at himself , “They do when they're awful at maintaining it. It'll disappear when I'm, uh...in the middle. Or if I panic or...a lot of stuff. Keeps me safe. No pitchforks for me, thanks.”

 

The voidseeker smirked and nodded, deeming the incubus safe if a only clumsy. His story added up. He was, in fact, terrible at controlling his pheromones and released them when surprised or excited. Cidny was likely well aware of this and assisted him in calming down or was just a very accepting friend. It was another mystery as to how the woman was seemingly immune to the scent. Promoto also only fed once from the other two and left them, just as he'd said. At least he was responsible.

 

“The truth from this point on, alright?”

 

The same bright smile returned to the blonde’s lips. Noctis really was going to just let him carry on. “You got it!”

 

When it came time to get back to work, Noctis checked over his sleeping friends. They did appear to be healthy, if only in a very deep sleep. It would be best for him to explain things to them face to face when they woke up. But there were things to do. Instead of waiting he simply left a note stating Prompto was an incubus and they were suffering short term side effects.

 

“Morn’n, boys! Well, afternoon now.” Cidny waved them over as soon as she spotted them. “Now I  had a few folks gossip’n ‘bout two fellas all over each other in the halls yesterday and I got to think’n. I was hope’n I'd get to catch blondie here’s walk of shame. You look a right mess. I'm yank’n yer tail. Glad ya had fun. You...alright there, Voidseeker?”

 

“He knows.” Prompto chimed happily.

 

“Well, look at you, Voidseeker. Knew I pegged ya for a good guy. Appreciate ya understanding. Blondie here ain't never hurt a fly. Heart’s pure’r than-”

 

“Cid, c’mon. You're gonna embarrass me.”

 

“Alright, alright. Thank ya.”

 

“Didn't do anything special. It's my job.” Noctis shrugged.

 

Cidny still called him a sweetheart, marking that more people should be as considerate, but the voidseeker insisted it was nothing.

 

“Oh, Prompto, ‘fore I forget. Got something for ya.” Cidny ducked behind her counter and produced a sealed letter. “Its got your name on it.”

 

The incubus stiffened up. Why here? He was a regular, but mail should be brought to his home. It was just...odd to receive anything here. “Did you see who left it?”

 

“Ya know, I did. But it's the darndest thing, I can't remember what he looks like. Sure was sure of himself, though. Expecting somethin, handsome?”

 

“Uh, yeah! Thanks, Cid!”

 

Prompto took the letter from her and left alongside Noctis who didn't question the blatant lie he'd told Cidny. He'd gathered he never mentioned letters or gifts to her.

 

“What's it say?” Noctis asked, keeping his eyes forward and directing the other through foot traffic.

 

As soon as Prompto looked at the handwriting, he hand no doubts who it was from.

 

**_My Dearest Prompto,_ **

 

**_You were so beautiful. Bards could sing of the way your body arcs, the way you cry with pleasure._ **

 

**_Though you wound me by lying with not one, but three, I cannot say the fire you set alight in me has diminished. I have tried to be patient. I know it is only a matter of time before you seek to be mine. You would be without want._ **

 

**_I ache for you to see me. Come to me. See me._ **

 

**_We would be glorious together._ **

 

Prompto looked up from the letter at Noctis whose face looked as if the words ‘sounds about right’ were to fall from his lips any second, though they never did. In fact, what came from his mouth was, “Good.”

 

“Wait, how is that _good_ ? You do know I am trying _not_ to be stalked, right? Are you not as weirded out that this guy, ya know, saw all that somehow?” his lips twisted in mild annoyance.

 

“Been with anyone else since this all started?”

 

“Huh? Uh...No? What does that have to-”

 

Noctis hooked his arm around Prompto’s waist, pulled him closer and their lips connected for a long while. Prompto did not push away. He may have even pressed into Noctis. And for a moment, Noctis felt his mind fog, although that was his own fault.

 

Prompto nearly chased after his lips when Noctis set him free and his words very much were the opposite of his actions. “It's the middle of the road, in the middle of the day! That is one hell of way to ask me if I'm single.”

 

“Quiet. We're working.” He smirked. Noctis led Prompto onwards, his hand never left the incubus’ hip. “Told you I had an idea what I was dealing with. It’s marked you. ...Figuratively.”

 

Prompto quieted down, able to grasp that he was to have an air of normalcy. “So what _is_ he?”

 

“I said I had an idea. Not that I was completely sure. If it _is_ what I am thinking of, it’s still acting really weird. Although it's not impossible for them to become infatuated with a target. So… I’m sure I don’t really need to tell you, but if he pops up to you, don’t sleep with him? He’s bound to kill you eventually.”

 

“Don’t really have the intent to sleep with a stalker, thanks! What’s all this then?” Prompto placed his hand on the one on his hip.

 

Noctis shrugged lightly, “You’re cute.” which could have been an act, but it was unlikely. He’d quite unsubtly revealed his attraction the night prior. But it was still unlike him to be so handsy under public eye. But there was also the quip he added shortly after. “It’s the jealous type.”

 

“Oh! I get you. In that case…” Prompto reached back and very cheekily grabbed a handful of Noctis’ buttocks.

 

“And now I wish we didn’t have a stalker to deal with. Come on, and listen closely.”

 

\----

 

Ignis read over the note left behind. It was always a surprise finding demons and monsters who blended in with humans. He could almost never detect them unless they were being quite obvious. Which made it a surprise that Prompto was one. Thinking back, he probably wasn’t the best at masking his nature and it also made clear to him why he’d been so eager to leap into bed despite a job needing to be completed. Should he see Prompto again, he’d be sure to lecture him on feeding habits.

 

He very much wanted to bathe after his eventful night, but he hadn’t wanted to leave Gladiolus’ side. It seemed wholly irresponsible to leave on the chance that he could wake before he returned.

 

There was time enough to think about the night. Though he felt driven by desire, he recalled everything so at the very least his mind was still his own.

 

Several  minutes later, Gladiolus began to  wake. “Mm.”

 

“Good afternoon, Gladio.”

 

It took a second for him to register the time of day. “Afternoon? _Six,_ how long did I sleep?”

 

“Peculiar, is it not? Gladio,” Ignis straightened up, preparing for a possibly uncomfortable conversation. “How much of last night do you remember? “

 

Gladiolus visibly reddened. “I...didn't think we'd talk about it…”

 

“And you recall the young man, Prompto, yes?’

 

In an instant he saw the blonde lapping at him and taking him into the back of his throat. “Yeah…”

 

“Excellent.”

 

Ignis further explained concerns, sharing with him the contents of the note. The muscular man just laughed after a while stating that like must attract like.

 

“And you are still...well? Mentally. With this. I am a grown man of many years. If you need this to end immediately, I will have no qualms.”

 

Gladiolus felt warmed, “Worried about me still?”

 

“Absolutely! Now please be brutally honest.”

 

“Well. To be perfectly honest, before I met you, I never considered a… relationship? With a man. And after, I didn't think I'd have to consider being with two. So imagine how surprised I was getting with three in a day. It was crazy and I can't believe I did it. But...it was kinda exciting. I had a good time and… I really enjoyed being with you, Iggy.”

 

Ignis exhaled. “Marvelous to hear. I worried I may have rushed you.”

 

“Might’a been faster than I thought, but I'm not sitting here stew’n in regret or anything. But I hope you were telling the truth.”

 

He appeared moderately offended that anyone would think he was not truthful at all times. “Regarding?”

 

“That you'd take care of me too. Think I deserve to be doted on just a little.”

 

Ignis smiled softly, “Then join me. I'll wash your back.”

 

\---

 

The interior of Prompto’s humble abode was jam packed to capacity. Everything laid out in a way to maximize the small space, yet somehow much neater than any space Noctis himself had occupied for lengths of time. A bed without frame was tucked into a corner nearest a window, surrounded by a number of unfinished paintings, containers, sketchbooks, and several palettes. There was a little nook for washing, another for rather cramped dining, and the last, by the door was the most clear. On the walls hung a variety of paintings showing the painter’s talent. Landscapes, still life, and on every wall, at least one self portrait. Noctis may not have had a particular eye for art, but he did have one for detail. He didn’t see these paintings as narcissistic. In each one he could see a tinge of sadness in the face; this was expression of self. Even if it took a chunk of time to create.

 

Prompto looked around his narrow home, touching the walls. “It’s not much. But I’ve been here for a few years. It’s been nice.”

 

Noctis touched nothing if he could help it, fearing disturbing anything despite danger looming overhead.

 

“Are you sure...that this is the only way?” Prompto asked quietly taking up a stack of loosely bound papers and charcoals, carefully tucking them into a length of cloth.

 

“Not really. Just one of the only ways I could think of that involve as few people as necessary. He doesn't seem to follow you **_all_ ** the time. It’s just a thought I had.”

He called Prompto over to him, ushering him to sit on his bed. Noctis had picked up on a few things that Prompto might not have. It was easier looking from the outside to see when the stalker paid the most attention.

 

“Aren’t we supposed to be waiting for him?” he asked with Noctis at his neck.

 

“Mmhmm.”

 

“Th-Then isn’t this not the best time?” again in a questioning tone, betrayed by laying himself back, inviting touch.

 

“Maybe not. Exciting, though. Right?” Noctis sucked on Prompto’s neck, letting his hands snake into his clothes, caressing his sides.

 

Yet he never made any move to remove any article of clothing. His own or otherwise.

 

\---

 

“I don’t understand why you don’t just take him.”

 

That had been what his comrade had told him time and time again. She didn’t understand. But then again, she was human. She wasn’t born to this. Merely drawn to its allure. She couldn’t see how beautiful Prompto was. That he was bathed in the essence of the void. He was not born of the mortal world.

 

He was exquisite.

 

And he would see.

 

Today he caught the familiar scent once more. The intoxicating scent of an incubus from the void. The scent of one that was ‘hunting’. He’d realized something similar to him had recently moved into the area, or really he had only noticed the scent floating around the upper class. He'd seen Prompto, but Prompto seemed to look passed him. So he’d make him see him. He thought things had been going well. He’d left an obvious trail of victims, declared himself, visited him with thin dreams. And yet...nothing.

 

Now that beautiful, slim, blonde was at it yet again. In the arms of another man. Did he mean to taunt him like this? To spit in his face?

 

Noctis paused. His hands retreated as he sat up, leaving the incubus confused.

 

“What’s wrong?” Prompto asked, eager to be pet again.

 

Noctis jerked his chin in the direction of the door in silence.

 

Their guest had arrived and the door knob turned slightly, prompting the incubus to finally catch on. He locked that, hadn’t he? As the door pushed open he cried, “Who's there?”

 

“What must I give you to make you mine? You must be cleansed of this...this filth.” the man replied. Coming into view he looked no older than Prompto. At least from what he could make out. Parts of his body seemed to be both engulf in and made from flame. A flame that was and was not light itself. Nearly invisible. What could be made out were the parts of him that were not flame. Appearing to be floating parts. He was also of blonde hair, but his face was more rounded. It had not yet caught up to his mature frame. The eyes however, were figuratively and quite literally smoldering.

 

Noctis stood up, keeping himself between the two. Mentally, he gave himself praise for guessing correctly. Some form of lidérc stood before him. One that caused Prompto a great deal of surprise.

 

“Lord Tummelt? _You? You’ve_ been-...been-”

 

The Lord seemed quite pleased. Finally. He smiled and tossed his hair, “I was starting to think you’d never look my way. I shower you with gifts and still you play at disinterest. If you meant to call me forth by this...cur, then you have succeeded, but please, come here. Away from this rubbish.”

 

Prompto merely scrambled for his crossbow and aimed for the far too confident Loqi Tummelt.

 

Loqi was confused by this action, the flames of his body dissipating to reveal his more human form. “What is the matter, Prompto? Come. Have you not seen my splendor? Come to me. I will give you whatever you wish. I can take you away to my manor. This is unbecoming of you. What is it you desire?”

 

“How about you quit following me around and- and stop invading my head! It’s you, isn’t it? You’re the one who's been feeding around here. I don’t want any part of what you’re doing. Just leave me the hell alone!”

 

Loqi took a step forward and Prompto fired a warning shot into the wall. One his landlord would likely be unhappy with.

 

The lidérc frowned, voice becoming forceful. “Prompto! Don’t be foolish. We are a perfect match and I will not see you waste such a body on-”

 

“Could you not talk about _my_ body like you own it? It’s so gross. Leave me alone, or I swear by the six, I’ll shoot.”

 

“What d’ya know? People don’t like being stalked.” Noctis rolled his shoulders. “Prompto is willing to let you walk away from this. I am too, if you can make a blood oath you want be pushing people to exhaustion or worse.”

 

“Curs do not speak! I have been kind. If you do not come willingly, I will take what is mine and you will see in time.”

 

The voidseeker shrugged. “Wrong answer.”

 

A bolt ripped through Loqi’s shoulder, pinning him to the doorframe and once more his body returned to flame. Perhaps not the brightest idea on Prompto’s part, given that no matter how difficult it was to see, he did appear to be part flame. Fire crept its way up the frame and spread to the wall.

 

Prompto swore and Loqi ripped the bolt from his shoulder and immediately advanced on Noctis. The incubus seemed more keen to try to stop the spread of fire in his cramped, highly flammable home. Loqi fell upon Noctis and wrapped his hands around his neck, swearing and berating him for defiling the incubus. Noctis grimaced, his skin beginning to burn. His fingers bent, forming symbols and then grabbed onto the forearms of the man determined to make him pay. Right away, his arms were overtaken by pain and frost, allowing Noctis to kick his way free, although the arms seemed to stay firmly on his throat even if Loqi was now several feet away.

 

Noctis shattered the limbs and got to his feet, watching the lidérc reform his own.

 

It was clear that this wouldn’t be a simple fix.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't the bad touch chancellor. But that don't mean he isn't around.
> 
> Just played Episode Ignis and I am pleased that everyone who has written 'insanely devoted to Noctis' Ignis gets to be like "I fucking told you so."
> 
> I think the original end to the game is still good because it was ballsy to go through with it. But I'd be lying if I didn't say this alternate ending doesn't make me the happiest.


End file.
